Multi-indorsement mechanism.



G. G. ABBOTT.

MULTI-INDORSEMENT MECHANISM.

ABPLIGATIQN FILED HAUL-1913.

1,107,008. Patented Aug.11.,1914,

as F19? ,31

IN l/EN TOR M 3mm 1 z; j

- ATTORNEY C. C. ABBOTT;

' MULTI-INDOBSEMENT MECHANISM,

APPLIGATIOH FILED mu 9, 1913.

1,107,003, 1 Pam-m Aug. 11, 2.9m.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO TRIUMPHVOTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFNEW JERSEY.

MULTI-INDORSEMENT MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11 191 4.

Application filed May 9, 1913. Serial N0. 766,525.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES C. ABBOTT, acitizen of the United States, residing at littsfield, county ofBerkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inllhilti-lndorsement Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates -to mechanism of the general type shown anddescribed in Letters Patent Nos. 1,054,074 and 1,054,075, granted to meFeb. 25, 1913. This mechanism is limited in-its use to a condition ingroup voting in which the same person has been nominated 0r indorsed foran oflice in a group by two or more parties, and his name appears on aplurality of party tickets, c. in a plurality of party lines, and hasfor its object to render it impossible to cast more than one vote forsuch person no matter in how many oflice lines his name may appear or inwhat positions in the several lines.

. The purpose and nature of the mechanism in question are fully setforth in my prior patents above referred to, but. briefly stated, saidmechanism comprises one or more multi-indorsement strips adapted for usein connection with columns of voting members, locking dogs cpc 'aterl bythe voting members and cooperating with the strips, and a secondaryinterlock or wedge system connecting the several strips where more thanone are used. Operation of a voting memher, through the locking dogassociated therewith, causes slack to be taken up in the correspondingmulti indorsement strip, thereby preventing the operation of anothervoting member provided with a locking dog in the same column. and also.through the wedge system. locking the other strips and preventing theoperation of a voting member provided with a locking dog in any othcrcolumn. Of course where all of the voting members corresponding to thesame candidate are arranged in a single column the wedge system isunnecessary. since the multi-indorsemeut strip alone prevents theoperation of more than one member in the same column.

The present invention has for its objects to provide a construction inwhich loose parts are, as far as possible. eliminated: to

provide an improved nmlti-indorsement quirements; and also to provide animproved secondary locking attachment or wedge system, for use inconnection with the n'iulti-indorsement strips, which is of simple andcompact construction, efiicient in opera tion. and capable of beingeasily and quickly up ilied, in assembled form. to the machine.

lVith these and other objects in view l have devised the novel mechanismwhich I will now describe, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of the specification and in which Figure 1 is anelevation, partly broken away, illustrating my novel mechanism as seenfrom the front of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation as seen fromthe left in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3--3,Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the wedge system orattachlnent. Figs. 5 and are, respectively, an elevation and ahorizontal section of one of the locking dogs detached. Fig. 7 is anenlarged side elevation of one of the locking units of thenn'llti-indorsement strip. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88, Fig. 7.

10 denotes the framework, 11 the shafts of voting members, 12 a votingmember op erating lever. and 14 a counter dog. all of which parts may beof any ordinary or preferred construction.

The multi-indorsement strips are com posed of two types ofinterchangeable units, herein for convenience referred to as lockingunits 15 and coimecting units 16. strip is assembled with a locking unit15 corresponding to or adjacent each voting member representing acandidate who has been nominated or indorsed by a plurality of parties.The cormecting units are. employed to connect the locking units with oneanother and with the wedge system. The units 15 and 16 are all of equallength, being sufficiently longer than the distance between two of thevoting member shafts in the same column to permit each unit to beconnected with the next adjacent unit above or below it. so that oneunit 15 or 16 cmploycd in each column to correspond to each party line.

' vide with beads which en I cross Each of the locking uni'ts 15 iscomposed of an up er section 17, a lower SGCDOII 18, and a 10c in dog19. Each of the sections 17 and 18 is ing 20 and is provlded at its iece21 secured thereto b 22. he ends bent inwardly end with a a flat rivetof the cross pieces 21 are to form undercut guideways 28 (see Fig. 8),and the edges of the sections are beveled, as at 24, the beveled ed esof each section sliding freely in the gui eways o t e other sectioni Therivets 22 are proga'ge longitudina s ots 26 and 29 in the sectlons 17and 18, res ectivel the head, 25 of the rivet 22 carr'eg by the uppersection 17 engaging the s at 29 in the ower section 18, and vice versa.The locking dog 19 comprises an elongated plate of metal, rounded at theends for smoothness in operation, and provided adjacent its center witha hub, 27 received in the openi 20 of the section 17. The hub 27 is formwith a transverse noncircular openin adapted to receive and fit thevoting mem er shafts, said opemng permitting a voting member shaft to bepassed freely therethrough but (preventin rotation o the locking dog onsai shaft. he shafts areshown as provided with grooves on their oppositesides and the hub 27 of the locking dogs are ormed with inwardlyprojecting lugs 28 which enga c said grooves. The sections 17 and 18dockin dog 19 of each unit are held permanent assembled b5 the rivets22, engagemen, A to the beveled e ges 24 of the sections .17 and 18 withthe ways 28 holding said'sections against separation, and engagement ofthe hub 27 of the locking dog 19 with the opening 20 in the section 17retaining said locking dog in place between the sections.

At points slightly the slots 29 the sections 18 are bent inwardly Eachhook 31 is adapted to engage a slot in the unit immediately above, andthe lugs 32 retain sald hool 1n adjacent locking units 15, and the hook31 of the upper section 17 of the lower unit is engaged with the slot 29in the lower section 18 of the upper unit, thereby connecting saidunits. To

strip has been removed from the machine said units are turned out ofalinement with one another, thereby permitting the lugs 32 ormed with anelongated opendisconnect the same after' the to pass through the slot29,, said units being assembled in obvious.

The connecting units 16 comprise single sections shown as fiat plates orlinks pro vided with slots 34 and with elongated openings 33 throughwhich the voting member shafts 11 pass freely. Said plates are formedwith offset lower ends 35 to facilitate the connection thereof withadjacent units, with at the upper ends of the sections 17 o the lockingunits 15.

It will be understood that in arranging the machine a 'multi-indorsementstrip composed of units 15 and 16 will be employed for each columncontainin one or more voting members corresponding to a candidate whohas been nominated 0r indorsed by a plurality of parties, a lockinsection being employed adjacent sai voting member or members, and theremainder o the strip being composed of connecting units 16. The properunits are first assembled in the necessary arrangement, according to therequirements, to form a complete strip, and the strip in its completelyassembled form is then applied to themachine.

a similar manner, as will be above, as the case may be, it being obviousthat a locking unit may be substituted f or versa, as required. In applbled strip to the machine t e shafts 11 of the proper votin members are'passedthrough the hubs 2% of the locking do s 19, so that said dogswill turn with said s afts. he secondary locking attachment or wedgesystem comprises a series of vertically sliding wedges 38, a set oflaterally sliding outer plates 39 and a set of laterally sliding innerplates 40. The wedges are retained in place between the plates and saidplates are held assembled by means of pins or rivets 41 and 43. The pins41 ass through and are immovably secured to the plates 39 and slide inslots 42 in the plates 40. The

38 are formed with vertical plates 39 and 40 with horizontal slots 46which receive the voting member shafts 11 upon which said wedges andplates are su The wedges 38 are preferably formed of I sheet metal andare provided with upwardly extending stems l7. Said stems are formedwith forwardly projecting lugs or wings 48, which engage the upper edgesof the plates 39 and 110 and limit the downward movement of the wedges,and at their upper ends with rearwardly turned hooks -19 similar to thehooks 31 and 36 and having laterally projecting lugs 50 similar to thelugs 32 and 37. By means of the hooks 49 the wedges 38 are connectedwith the lowermost units of the multi-indorsement strips in preciselythe same manner as that in which said units are connected with eachother. The inner plates are rigidly connected in pairs at opposite sidesof the wedges by the pins or rivets 1-3, and the outer plates 39 aresimi larly rigidly connected in pairs at opposite sides of the plates-10 by the pins or rivets -11. The plates of the two sets are instaggered relationship to one another, the plates 3) breaking jointsabout midway of the plates 40, and vice versa. The pins 41 are locatedadjacent the ends of the plates 39, and the pins 43 are similarlylocated adjacenttlie ends of the olatcs 40. The slots 42 and 14: in theplates 40 and 311, through which the pins 41 and -13 pass loosely, are,in the case of the intermediate plates of the series, located atsubstantially the centers of said plates. At each end of the series is apair of plates of one half the length of the other plates of the series,and the slots 42 and -14 thereof extend to the outer edges of saidplates. In a series comprising an odd nmnber of wedges, as show-n inthedrawiugs, the short endplatesat one end of the series form part ofthe set 39, and those at the opposite end form part of the set 40. \vl;l1'l an even number of wedges is employed the short plates at theopposite ends of the series will belong to the same set 89 or 10, aswill be obvious.

The arrangement of the wedges, plates, and pins is such that normally,or when all of the wedges are in their lowermost positions, there isanhmount of slack in the system suliirient to permit one of the wedgesto he moved upwardly into the position occu pied the central wedge asshown in Figs. 1 and It will be observed that there is a pin i1 and apin 43 adjacent each of the wedges and lying on opposite sides thereof.When a wedge is moved upwardly, engagement thereof with the adjacentpins 41 and 411 causes said pins and the plates to which they areimmovably secured to be moved in opposite directions away from oneanother. The amount of movement of the plates 39 and 40 permitted by thepins 41 and 43 and slots 42 and 44 is just enough to permit one wedgeonly in the assemblage to be moved into its up ermost position. The pins41 and 43 at the left of an operated wedge closely engage the left sidesof the wedges at the left, and the pins at the right of the operatedwedge closely engage the right edges of the wedges at the right, thuslocking all unoperated wedges against op eration until the wedge whichhas been raised is returned to normal position.

I he complete operation of the mechanism is as follows. Fig. 1 showsportions of live party lines and live oilice columns to three of whichmulti-indorsement strips have been applied. The party lines are countedfrom the top downward and the office columns from right to left, as seenin Fig. 1'. This figure iliuslrates a condition in which the samecandidate has been nominated or indorsed by the first, second, third andfourth parties, his name appearing in the fifth column in the first andsecond party lines, in the third column in the third party line, and inthe first column in the fourth party line. in other words, the fifthvoting member in the first party line, the fifth voting member in thesecond party line, the third voting member in the third party line andthe-first voting member in the fourth party line all represent the sameindividual. In arranging or assembling the multi-indorseineut strips alocking unit 15 is employed for each of these voting members, thebalance of each strip being made up of connecting units 16 inasmuch asnone of the other voting members in the several columns are ail'eeted bythe multi-indorsement conditions. As shown in Fig. l, the first strip iscomposed of a single locking unit directly connected with thecorresponding wedge 38, the second strip is composed of one locking unit15 and one connecting unit 16 intermediate said locking unit and, thecorresponding wedge 38, while the third strip is composed of two lockingunits and two connecting units. These columns in which the name of thecandidate in question does not appear are not provided withmulti-indorsement strips, this being the case with respect to the secondand fourth columns in the arrangement shown and the corresponding wedges38 remain permanently in their normal or lowermost positions.multi-indorsenient strips is connected at its lower end with acorresponding wedge 38 of the wedge system. Said wedge system orattachment is placed in osition on the party line immediately be ow thatof the lowermost party indorsing the candidate in question bv slippingthe same over the shafts or voting members in that line. said shaftspassing through the slots 45 and 46 as above explained.

The heads 25 of the rivets 22 carried by the upper sections 17 0f thelocking units 15 normally lie in the upper ends of the slots 29 in thelower sections 18, so that upward movement of an upper section istransmitted Each of the LOO 80 rawn upwardly. Also, when a section 17:"86 tlon and the corresponding sectlons of all 46 closely engage thelower cross-pieces of the to the corresponding lower section and isthird line and the third column, and the impossible without acorresponding upward wedge 38 corresponding to that column has movementof said lower section. In operbeen raised, thereby preventing movementating a voting member, or moving the same of any other of the wedges andlocking the 5 to voted position, the shaft thereof is given votingmembers of the assemblage in the a quarter turn, more or less. When avoting first and fifth columns against operation member included in anassemblage (mean- The wedge attachment herein shown is ing votingmembers pertaining to any single adapted for use in connection with fiveor candidate) is so operated the locking dog 19 less oiiice columns. Itis necessary to em 10 thereon is turned from its normal horizontal ploya separate attachment for each assemposition into an approximately"ertical poblage, and preferably a plurality of these sition. When soturned engagement of the attachments will be provided for each ma- 15the lower section 18 of the corresponding of wedges in order toaccommodate the same so to varying requirements.

The voting member shafts 11 extend for a considerable distance beyondthe framework, as shown in Fig. 2, so that two or more multi-mdorsementstrips may be employed for each column if required by the conditions, asexplained in my prior patent No. 1,054,074, above referred to. Similarlytwo or more wedge attachments may be applied to the same office lineifnecessary, these assembled attachments, as shown In igs. 2 and 3, beingrelatively compact and atand occupying relatively little spacelongitudinally of the shafts 11.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

20 upper section 17 of the corresponding unit r 1 or 36 of the unitbelow, causes the unit 25 low to be drawn upward also, the two sectionsof each locking unit moving upwardly together, and this upward movementbeing e corresponding wedge 38 which is also is locked by an operatedlocking (log against upward movement, engagement of the hook 31 thereofwith the slot 29 of the lower section of a locking unit above locks saidseclocking dog cooperating with said sections 2. n a voting machine, amulti-indorsement strip composed of locking units and connecting units,said units being interchangeable in position and being provided 40 T 6locking dogs above an operated dog with means for detachable connect onwith will therefore closely engage the up or units, whic cannot movedownward, thus looking all other voting members of the as- 3. In amulti-indorsement strip for voting semblage in that column againstoperation.

machines, a locking unit comprising a pair of permanently connected,relatively sliding sections and a lockin dog, said sections and dogbeing provided withcooperatin means for permanently retaining said dogetween said sections. I

In a voting machine, the combination with voting members having shafts,of a multi-indorsement stri including one or more locking units ewecomprising a pair connected, relativeliy slid- 50 her in the assemblageraises all of that por- 66 inthe assemblage without raising thecorresponding wedge, and since the wedge system, as above explained, isso arranged as to permit only one of the wed es to occupy a raisedposition at one time, It follows that 60 when one voting member of theassemblage in apy one column has. been operated, operation of anothervoting member of the assemblege in any other column is prevented.

In 1 one voting'member is shown in the oted osition. namely, that in thesections and havin a 126 In a voting machine, the combination withvoting members arranged ins column and having shafts, of a multiindorsement strip composed of lockingnnits and connecting. units, saiduni-ts being interchange-,-

5 able in position and being, provided with means for detachableconnection with one an 0thr,; and said locking units each comprising apair of permanently connected, relatively sliding sections-havingopenings and? a locking dog between said sections and 'havingaflhubreceived .inbhe of said openings;

saidhn-h having-a transverseopening adapt-i ed toreceive and-fit thecorresponding votconnect-ling Same: 531a Q Q- I iV ing; mg nbef' l aft Ving a slot, and said-upper-seetion having e,-

fl In a voting machine, a, 'multi-i-ndo se llOOk laterally lugsment'stiipcomposedof a plhralityfofnnits; d p l g h l in rche' w including oneor, more locking units, each of i n a m abovfi v saidfiqekmg unitscomprising upper and? 12; In a' vo ing mach'ne'jhaving oti' lowersections hflyin'g rmeans 55 vglid bl' i members, a -multi-indorsementf,-stni com eonneetingthe same, said .lower'seetion hav-" posed of k g'units tm i t ingn slotznjnd said upper'seetiori h i a'interchangeablempositiony'said locking n-i' hookmdaptedto engagetheslot in the lower, g islotsrand fgs p d mbp g ectionigf anujit, above:I; ate with'sa'id Vbblflg inerribiQQihd-sfilildkofi Z. In avotingmachine, a multi-indorsemeeting. units bei-ng'ina'ctive-Wi'ti-i m nt'trip zcoinpmed of a plurality of units' saidvotingmembers; md eecwcpmp.

inclndiug on g imore 'lockingunits, each singlesectionprovidedjn'titslower nd t of saidloeleinflunitscomprising upper. and a slot d itsuppe: d With a. 'l

lower-sections h.avng"means for slidz'ibly; adapted m-eng g t e'ig i =1;

P m i g= th-= sidsect-ions and permsment st-rip composed ofiloeki gnently; connected thene'wit'h, said lowerise :COnMO E i Said "u IMomhaving a slot and said upper' seeti'bn :-ohangea'ble-inpositiohaving-is; hook idanted -tofengagethe slot sa-id loe'king units" ea A inl wgpgection-of a, unit, above, I andlower ..7=r ,'8.;,In si-;voting,machine, 'a inult if indorse co ne g. ei ihl fl merit stripcomposedaofva .plumlityzof units SflNJlockingflnits F iDESlO includingoneuormore locking units, each 'per-sectionsthereofhavinf' of said{locking-units- Comprising upper-end lower \fseqtions; h aving'f-meanw'for =slidably 40 rnonnelzting-athei-same said lower-section havv tingeslot, mid said. ruiipei-z-seetion hnv'iiq means. engaging said slot'a'nda hook ad'arp ed to engageit-he slot in the lower section of a unit;above: I I

5"- 9.;In a .multi-indorsclmentstrip for voting machines, a loeking unitcomprising up periimd lower. sections having slots, ageross adapted toengage the slot in thelower section of the unit above, andailoeki'ngdog} between said sections and having a hubire ceivod in oneof the openings t-hereing saildhub having a transverse opening adaptedto Z 7 receive and, fit the corresponding voting member shaft. 0 '1- 11.In a voting machine,n m ulthindels --nient strip composed of a pluralityot'unit's including one or more locking-'iinits-,=each of" said locking:units cmnprisin'g upper #64} lower sections having means -for slid'ahflyheslots-inthe-gunits 'zrhove, and i 'neetin'g units each'comprisingjip'single's provided'at-its lovve'riendvv thi aisles iit'iil ,tof' theslots in '-the' lower -sectiol locking; units and atits uphen fld witha; hook similar to the hooks tif tli V tion'sxof said locking units.

- "14. In a voting machine with voting members he-vi multhindorseinento'Se pieoemarriexlby each nf said seetionsgiand having a guide vay In\yhiehhthe otherusec tionislides, {ind a rivet securing eaeh of saiderosspi-eeestothe corresponding seetion' and havinzgta head received-inthe slot of. the othorseqtion. 1

10 In avvqtjn limachine tl'iecoi'nhinati'on wifl jvotmg .membens havingsh-a fts', of a mnlthirhlorsement strip influi'ii ng' one ormorggloekingen nits .eaeh -compri.'si ng unp'er I andifiInSivenesections having openings am slot g oss "pieoemarried' h v ea'eh of saidretainedLa rivet serzurinqeaehof said cross 'to said voting-members andeach eonip units and connectink'flinitsl T 0c units having slotsheingiadapted operate with said votingf meni'h'ehs ant eonnelnting'unitsbeing: inactive, th-r' memhm' 'shaft-p in: provided at 1 and at: itsliriher'e'nd with: engage the slot in a' unit above;

15. Tn a voting machine; the combination? with voting members havingshafts 'fo'f m ulti-i ndo rs'i-inent s t-rip ;(:o1npose(l of "in er(-l1angeah-le"lofcking units and com: titig units, 'eaohof saidloekinglir'nits glom n'rls n upper and lower *seetihns h'avin9:' opehnig'a I I and slots, :1 eross piece curried by each? nieces to-fhe'correspondingstotihn and'havmg gnhenidi reoeLved -infthe slot 0fthe'other setihn,;.-sa i'(i .upper section-having a hook active withrespect to sai said cross pieces to the corresponding section and havinga head received in the slot of the other section, said upper sectionhaving ahook rovided with lateral! a, extending lugs an adapted toengage t 0. slot in the lower section of the unit above, and a lockindog between said sections and having a, ub received in the openiutherein, said hub having a transverse opening adapted to ceive and fitthe corresponding voting membershaft rand Said connecting units eachcomprising a single plate having an elongated opening through which thecorrespondin voting member shaft passes freely, sai plate bein providedat its lower end with aslot simi ar to the slots in the lower section ofthe locking units and at its plates being upper end with a hook similarto the book of the upper sections of said locking units. 16. In a votingmachine, the combination with voting members arranged in lines, of amulti-indorsement strip com of a plurality of detachably conncc edlockiug units and connecting units, eachmompletain itself. and each of alength substantially equal to the distance between the lines of votingmembers, said lockin units being adapted to cooperate with sai votingmembers, and said connectin units being invoting members.

17. In a voting machine, in combination, a series of multi-indorsementstrips eaph composed of interchangeable locking units and connectingunits of equal length, and a series of wedges correspondingrespectivelyto the several strips, said locking units each comprisingrelatively sliding upper and lo'iver sections and said connectin unitseach comprising a single section, said connecting units and the lowersection of said locking units having similar slots, and said wedges,connectingunits, and the upper sec tions of said locking. unit s 'havinghooks adapted to engage the slots in units above, whereby said units maybe detachably connected with said wedges and with each other. 18. In amulti-indorseme'nt mechanism for voting machines, a wedge systemcomprising a series of vertically movable wedges and a series oflaterally sliding plates, said plates being moved by an operated wedgeto lock all of the other wedges in the series, and said wedges beingprovided with means to engage said plates and limit the downwardmovement of said wedges.

19. In a multi-indorsement mechanism for voting gnachines, a Wedgesystem comprising a series of vertically movable wedges and a seriesoflaterally sliding plates, said movedby an operated wedge all of theother wedges of the series,

J in i'a'idw'edns-having upwardly project,-

ing stems provided with projecting lugs to enga e the edges of saidplates and imit the ownward movement of said wedges;

2Q. Ina voting machine, in combination, a series of multindo'rsementstrips, a series of vertically movable wedges corresponding respectivelyto the several strips, and a ser es of. laterally sliding plates, saidplates being moved by an operated wedge to lock all of the other wedgesin the series, and said wedges having upwardly projecting stems providedwith means for attachment to said stri s and with means to engage saidplates and limit the movement of said wedges.

21. In a multi-indorsement mechanism for voting machines, a wedge systemcomprising a series of vertically movable wedges, a set of laterallysliding inner plates, a set of laterall sliding outer plates, and meansconnecting said plates andengaged by said wedges whereby said plates aremoved by an i operated wedge to lock all of the other wedges of theseries.

22. In a multi-indorsement mechanism for voting machines, a wedge systemcomprising a series of vertically movable wedges, a set of laterallvsliding inner plates, a set of laterally sliding outer platesoverlapping said inner plates, and pins connecting said plates andengaged by said wedges whereby said plates are moved by an operatedwedge to look all of the other wedges of the series.

23. In. a multi-indorsement mechanism for voting machines, a wedge sstem comprising 10 a series of vertically mova 1e wedges, a set oflaterally sliding inner plates arranged in pairs at opposite sides ofsaid. wedges, a set of laterally sliding outer plates arranged in pairsat opposite sides of said inner plates, all of said plates having slots,pins immovably connecting the inner plates of each pair and sliding inthe slots in the outer plates, and pins immovably connecting the outerplates of each pair and sliding in the slots of the inner plates, saidpins being engaged 'by said wedges and moved by an operated wedge tomove said plates and lock all of the other wedges in the series. 24. Ina voting machine, in combination voting members having shafts, a seriesof multi-indorsement strips, a series of vortically movable wedgesconnected respectivel with the several strips andhaving vertical slotsto receive the voting member shafts, and a series of laterally s idingplates having orizontal slots to receive said1vo member shafts, saidplates being'moved an operated wedge to look all of the otherwedges inthe series. p 133 25; In a votin machine, the com on with votin mom reinin a column, of a multi-mdorsement strip connecting said voting membersand composed .011 v units and oonnwtinl lmitl.

in number to the connected Voting members in the column, said unitsbeing interchangeable in position and being provided with means fordetachable connection with one another, and said locking units eachcomprising a plurality of relatively sliding sections an a locking dogcooperating with said sections and permanently connected therewi h.

26. Ii a'voting m ine, a multi-indorsement 5 ip' compo of locking unitsand connectin units, said units being interchangeab e in position andbeing provided with means for detachable connection with one aliother,said connecting units each comprisi g a single section, and said lockingunits each comprising a plurality of rela tively movable sections. v

27 In a votin machine, the combination with voting mem rs arranged'in acolumn, of a multi-indorsement strip connecting said voting members andcomposed of locking units and connecting units collectively equal innumber to the connected voting members in the column, said units beinginterchangeable in position and being provided with .flulti-indorsementstrip composed of a plurality of locking and connecting unitscorresponding in number to thelines of voting members, each of saidunits being complete in itself and each being provided with means fordetachable connection with adjacent units, said lockin units beingadapted to cooperate with sai voti members, and said connecting unitsbeing inactive with respect to said voting members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT. Witnesses:

S. W. A'rrmnron, H. W. Means.

